How Much Does Mobile App Development Cost in India? (2026 Breakdown)
A transparent breakdown of Android and iOS app development costs in India by app type, feature set and team, with the hidden costs most quotes leave out.
By Akash Deb, Akasuya6 min read
'How much does an app cost?' is the first question we get, and the honest answer is 'between ₹1.5 lakh and ₹50 lakh'. This article narrows that down so you can budget realistically.
Cost by app type
- Simple informational or catalogue app: ₹1.5 – ₹3 lakh
- Booking / delivery / service app with payments and admin panel: ₹4 – ₹10 lakh
- Marketplace or multi-role platform (customers, vendors, riders): ₹10 – ₹25 lakh
- Fintech, healthtech or apps with heavy compliance: ₹20 lakh+
What drives the price
- Number of user roles and screens.
- Back-end complexity: real-time features, payments, notifications, integrations.
- Platform choice: React Native (one codebase) vs separate native apps (roughly 1.6× cost).
- Design depth: template UI vs custom UX research and design.
- Third-party services: maps, SMS, payment gateway, video — each adds integration time and running costs.
Hidden costs quotes leave out
- Apple Developer account ($99 / year) and Google Play ($25 one-time).
- Cloud hosting: ₹2,000 – ₹20,000 per month depending on users.
- SMS / WhatsApp / push notification charges.
- Annual maintenance: 15–20% of build cost for OS updates, bug fixes and small features.
- App store screenshots, privacy policy and compliance documents.
How to reduce cost without a worse product
- Launch an MVP with the 3–5 features users need on day one; add the rest after feedback.
- Choose React Native unless you have a specific reason for native.
- Use proven back-end services (Firebase, Supabase, managed databases) instead of building everything custom.
- Give clear, fast feedback during development — delays cost money on both sides.
Timeline expectations
MVPs ship in 6–10 weeks; mid-complexity apps in 3–5 months. Store review adds 1–7 days on iOS.
Akasuya builds Android and iOS apps from Silchar for clients across India. Describe your app idea and we will send a fixed-scope estimate within two working days. See our mobile app development page for details.